I have a 1986 Chevy 4x4 Scottsdale Pickup. I pulled the 283 vortec engine out of it and dropped in a 1989 5.7 L 350 Engine. The motor was fuel injected so I picked up a different intake, carb, distributor, and coil for the 350. Long story short, I put it all together dropped the motor in hooked everything up got the motor to to top dead center and set the rotor of the distributor under plug one and left it loose at the intake for ajustments turned the key and it wouldnt fire. I pulled out a few of the plugs too see if they were even sparking, and they were not. I dont know whats wrong with it i made sure there was juice going to the coil, and hooked all the wires back to the distributor the same way they came off. Please let me know any other troubleshooting tips or help you can come up with. THank you

 

did you make sure you had power to the coil while cranking?....what coil and distributor did you put in it? HEI ?

 

I did not check that actually i will check that first thing tomorrow, and the distributor is just the stock one out of another 350, w/ a delco remy coil. Also the distributor is the exact same thing as the one out of the 4.3 L 283? so i was trying that one as well and still nothing. Its one of the ones where the coil just sits right on top of the distributor cap and wires up the side.

 

*** ( I meant around the sides of the coil on top of the cap ) not down the side of the cap itself..

 

yeah thats the stock HEI (High Energy Ignition) I would bet you dont have power when you crank.

 

O i see, but why would i have it when im not cranking, but not have it when i am cranking, what could cause this?

 

some wires are only "hot" in the on and run position and not the crank position...thats why.............i bet u picked the wrong wire to hook up for power